NSF Testing for the UK Market Allows Plumbing Products To Show Compliance

All manufacturers selling water supply fittings and materials in the UK must comply with Regulation 4(1)(a). The regulators’ specifications help verify that the products conform to the conditions approved by the regulator. There are many regulators’ specifications (also known as test code sheets) that detail the individual tests required for water supply product compliance.

To verify compliance, each type of water fitting (taps, valves, etc.) must undergo tests to multiple specifications to confirm that they cannot be installed, connected, arranged or used in a way that could cause waste, misuse, undue consumption or contamination of the water supply. Nonmetallic materials in contact with water are subject to specification 2111.1 - Effect upon water quality, which requires testing to British Standard 6920.

For appliances comprised of an assembly of products, the regulators’ specifications are applied for each subcomponent used within the assembly, and the complete assembly is then subject to its own additional regulators’ specifications. For example, a washing machine incorporates the following individual components:

• Flexible supply hoses (pressurised)
• Solenoid valves
• Internal flexible hoses (unpressurised)
• A soap dispenser
• An air gap arrangement or mechanical backflow-prevention device

If not already certified, each individual component requires a series of regulators’ specifications and tests. The complete assembly will then be subject to additional specifications applied to verify the leak tightness of the complete assembly, and for some appliances, the consumption rate of the machine will also be verified.

Specifications/tests applicable for each generic product are listed below for guidance and may change depending on the design of the product presented for certification. Additional specifications may be applied depending on the materials used and the supply connections available, etc.

We provide testing to each of these specifications as part of NSF REG4, a UKAS ISO/IEC 17065-accredited certification scheme offering an alternative route to water fittings compliance for the UK market. The certification scope includes mechanical products in contact with drinking water, such as appliances, valves, backflow-prevention devices, taps, mixers, shower heads, pipes and fittings, tanks, cisterns, water meters, and many others. It also covers nonmetallic products, such as plastics, rubbers, coatings, cement, resins and sealants.

Please contact us to learn more about the exact specifications and tests that apply to your product(s).